The opposition closed the three-hour protest last night by hitting the institutions with Molotov cocktails. The general secretary of the Democratic Party, Flamur Noka, stated that it was the first day of civil disobedience as he added that the citizens’ revolt will continue.
After the opposition’s protest ended, Noka stated that this civil disobedience will not stop until their goals are met.
“It was the first day that civil disobedience descended on the streets of Tirana. The raging narco regime got a message today. The message was: Give a solution to the citizens’ request, the technical government, otherwise the narcosis in power will never have peace. Today they realized that the battle with the citizens is not won either with gas or violence. We will be here to continue civil disobedience until our goals are achieved. Narkos must leave and make way for a technical government. Today we started from the parliament on the road. We will inform you about every next step. We will be in civil disobedience. They are shaking, furious because citizen power has expired. The whole state in panic, the revolt will come boiling. This is revolt, the first step of civil disobedience. We will be in action. I will inform you about everything”, – declared Flamur Noka.
The opposition protested yesterday for 3 hours against the Rama government, thus starting the first day of civil disobedience, as the general secretary of the DP, Flamur Noka, also considered. The protest first started in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, where protesters threw Molotov cocktails. Then, the crowd of people led by the leaders of the Democratic Party moved towards the Ministry of the Interior, the Municipality of Tirana and the Parliament, where the molotov was thrown. The headquarters of the Socialist Party did not escape the attack either. In turn, the police retaliated with tear gas to disperse the protesters. The protest, which started at 18:30 and ended at 21:30, had as its headline the creation of a technical government for the parliamentary elections of 2025.
Due to the throwing of Molotov cocktails, the State Police announced that 12 officers were injured. The protesters also destroyed the advertisements placed on the street. There were also blockages for two ambulances, which were not allowed by the protesters to pass. Meanwhile, after the protest, in the institutions where tear gas was thrown, the police investigative groups started collecting material evidence at the scene. While in the vicinity of the Municipality of Tirana, about 15 Molotov cocktails were seized, divided into two bags.
The Minister of the Interior Ervin Hoxha and the General Director of the Police Ilir Proda also wrote in the trauma hospital in the capital where they visited the injured policemen today during the opposition protest. Molotov cocktails were thrown at the policemen, who formed a security cordon around the institutions targeted by the protesters, injuring some of them. It is reported that 12 police officers were injured in the protest. During the confrontation between the police and the protesters, a significant amount of tear gas was thrown.
Marching in the streets of Tirana and institutions
The protesters first gathered in the courtyard of the blue headquarters and then moved to the “Dëshmorët e Kombit” boulevard in front of the Prime Minister’s Office. Without speeches and tribunes, the opposition moved their action to other institutions and some road axes. The targets of the protesters were the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of the Interior, the Municipality of Tirana and the Parliament, the new Payari and the headquarters of the SP. With the cries of “Rama ik” and “Down with communism”, the protesters led by Flamur Noka and Gazment Bardhi left the Boulevard “Dëshmorët e Kombit”, where they threw Molotov cocktails and clashed with the police. The police called for an end to the violence, as the democratic protesters did not stop the Molotov cocktails and chants of “Rama ik”.
Many DP exponents warned with conviction that with the majority “there is no more political compromise” and that civil disobedience will continue until the creation of a technical government. This is the main demand of the democrats before the 2025 parliamentary elections. For its success and to guarantee security, the police activated around 1,200 forces on the ground. This measure comes after the organizers had warned that during the protest they will aim to block some road axes. The opposition requested permission from the police for a 4-hour rally in front of the Prime Minister’s Office.
The protest started at 18:30 in front of the Prime Minister’s Office where they threw some Molotov cocktails and smoke bombs and at one point clashed with the police. A Molotov fell towards the police cordon, endangering the lives of two of them. With a spacesuit, the police managed to avoid it while the object exploded in front of them. Then the crowd of protesters led by democratic MPs, Flamur Noka, Gazment Bardhi, marched towards the boulevard “Dëşmorët e Kombit” to continue towards the buildings of the ministry, where the headquarters of the SP is located. The protesters moved from the Prime Minister’s Office to the headquarters of the Socialist Party, where they immediately threw Molotov cocktails at the building. As a result of the flames, the fire engulfed the banner with the image of Prime Minister Rama on the facade of the headquarters. Even in front of the SP headquarters, the same scenario was followed by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails.
Meanwhile, police officers were also present, who were stationed in front of the headquarters to prevent the protesters from entering. There were tensions and clashes between the protesters and the police. As a result of the Molotov cocktails, the facade of the SP headquarters caught fire. The protest was led by Flamur Noka and Gazment Bardhi. After the SP headquarters, they moved in front of the Ministry of the Interior where they again threw Molotov cocktails. Behind the headquarters of the SP and the Prime Minister’s Office, the protesters threw Molotov cocktails towards the building of the Ministry of the Interior and the Municipality of Tirana. Also, some young people approached the door of the Ministry of Interior where they tried to enter, but without success. After throwing Molotov cocktails in the direction of the SP building, the blue uniforms dispersed the protesters using tear gas.
From there, the protesters moved to Tirana City Hall, where they clashed with the police. One of the Molotov bombs thrown by the protesters endangered the life of an officer, who was engulfed in flames. Protesters hit the police with hard objects, while throwing Molotov cocktails towards the building. Then the protesters marched towards the parliament building where they were dispersed with tear gas. Then they march to the New Bazaar. Along the way they set fire to bus stops, in one case they set fire to garbage cans while also smashing advertising windows.
The police called them several times with a megaphone. “Stop the attack with pyrotechnics on the police,” was the call over the megaphone. The protesters are led by DP deputies such as Flamur Noka, Luciano Boci. While Monika Kryemadhi, Ilir Meta, Vangjel Dule and Nard Ndoka have joined the protest. This protest was called by the Democratic Party on September 29, 2024, 3 days after the sentence of 1 year in prison by the Court of Appeal for former MP Ervin Salianji. This court decision for the opposition was “totally political” and as they claim it was the last “blow” after a series of attempts by the SP to annihilate the DP. The head of the Democrats, Sali Berisha, has described October 7 as the long-announced day, when the DP gives the well-deserved response to the capture of the state and the justice system./Gazeta Panorama
